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The realities of the road have--as they always do--caused me to make some changes in my approach to this trip.
There is wisdom to be had here. One of the main points of Buddhism is to see things as they are, not as we wish they would be, or fear that they might be.
So here are the facts that I have faced:
- I'm not moving as fast as I expected to.
- The best parts of the day involve praying and walking.
- The logistics of authenticity are preventing me from having a full experience.
- I will still walk every step of the Tokaido and the Shikoku Pilgrimage. [Actually, I had to trade off the Shikoku walking later; but I did walk the entire Tokaido. There will be much waffling about "cheating" etc. throughout these pages!]
- I will still pray for my friends every day, and at every one of Shikoku's 88 Temples. [I did.]
- I will do whatever is necessary to make these two things possible.
Now, let me discuss these matters point-by-point.
- I'm not moving as fast as I expected to.
- The best parts of the day involve praying and walking.
I'm not so crazy about carrying too much, or worrying about where to sleep, or feeling pressure to keep moving because of "the Schedule."
- The logistics of authenticity are preventing me from having a full experience.
I have been trying to do this like it was the 18th century. The "logistics of authenticity" means not using any trains, or buses, or whatever, for any reason. But in the past, there were inns on the road; there were cargo carriers. The 21st century is not set up for walkers. Trying to do it that way has cost me time, energy, and happiness. Adjust, adjust, adjust.
- I will still walk every step of the Tokaido and the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
In order to do this joyfully, I will lose some time. 25 kilometers a day is just too much. Take a look at part of my original letter:
Since coming to Japan, I have wanted to take two long walks: one of about three weeks, following the route of the old Tokaido Highway from Tokyo to Kyoto; and the other of about six weeks, around the island of Shikoku to visit the 88 temples of Japan's oldest pilgrimage. And since one can walk from Kyoto to the Shikoku ferry in less than three weeks, I've decided to do it all in September, October, and November, in one long trip.
Notice that the Yamato portion was sort of an afterthought. So I may have to skip portions of that to get the Tokaido and Shikoku portions done in time. This will allow time to write, or take side trips.
- I will still pray for my friends every day, and at every one of Shikoku's 88 Temples.
- I will do whatever is necessary to make these two things possible.
I'll do it again. Or I'll establish a "base" in a city, and day-walk the route using trains from the base. For example, I might find a room in Nagoya, take a train back to Hamamatsu, walk as far as I can, take a train back to my room, go back to my stopping place the next morning, etc.
This takes care of my two biggest problems: my bag, and finding a room at the end of a long walk. Japanese hoteliers do not like walk-ins. But making a reservation without knowing how far I'm going to get is tough. Doing it this way leaves me free to walk.
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When I look at the Logbooks for September 3rd and 4th, I see a lot of negativity. I want you to know that this page is written in a completely different spirit. I am writing with a spirit of freedom, and a sense of joy.
September 24, 2019
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